Actual country music is actually starting to emerge as a serious trend in mainstream country today, but we still need to see more widespread adoption before we declare ourselves in the midst of another neotraditionalist resurgence. Instead, the new trend that has begun to emerge is being described as “Boyfriend Country.”
The distaste the CMA Awards experience can leave in the mouth of actual country music fans is chased early this year by the announcement of the 2020 Grammy Award nominees in the Country and American Roots categories. Though no set of ears will find the nominees list ideal, those with distinguishing tastes will be much more rewarded.
For years people played the musical version of fantasy football in their minds by pairing up tour partners like Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson, Cody Jinks and Tyler Childers, or Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson, sure that if anyone had the guts to put a bill like that together, it could possibly sell out arenas. But nobody saw this coming.
The 2nd best thing about seeing Billy Joe Shaver live behind Billy Joe Shaver himself is the band behind him, including his bass player Tony Calhoun. Big smile, big sense of humor, and one heck of a master of the lower register, he put the mustard on Billy Joe Shaver’s Outlaw style of country music for the last few years.
We knew the release of the latest Luke Combs album ‘What You See Is What You Get’ would be big, and that’s exactly what it was, bringing in the biggest numbers for a country title all year, topping all the charts, and setting a new record in the country space. Luke Combs is now indisputably the biggest artist in country music.
Well well, it’s getting chippy out there after Eric Church and others lost the 2019 CMA Entertainer of the Year honor to Garth Brooks. At Eric Church’s show at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, November 16th, he was singing a rendition of “Are You Sure Hank Done It His Way” by Waylon Jennings, changing the lyrics to lash out at Garth.
As an addendum to all of the brewhaha last week surrounding Garth Brooks winning the 2019 CMA Entertainer of the Year over Carrie Underwood, a little context is perhaps needed. Though Stan armies love to war back and forth, behind the scenes things are often a lot more moderate and congenial.
We’re far past calling Ags Connolly’s passion for Austin style honky-tonk some sort of passing phase or lark. Now on his third full-length album of original country released in the last five years, he’s become one of the first names you cite as an example of how anyone can make country music as long as a sincerity resides in their heart.
Riley Green’s “Bury Me in Dixie” has returned to streaming services after it was pulled due to a controversial line in the song. “I wish Robert E. Lee could come and take a bow” is the line that was deemed too incendiary to continue to serve to the public, and the song was pulled from streaming services in late October.
The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office has determined who made a threat by phone to shoot multiple people at a Cody Jinks concert on October 26th at the Nacogdoches County Expo Center that resulting in the show’s cancellation, and it’s a person who has already serving time in prison.
The good news for good country music keeps coming, and this time it comes in the form of upsurging Texas country throwback artist Randall King signing to Warner Music Nashville, and readying the release of a debut major label album. As part of the resurgence of interest in 90’s country, Randall King fits the bill just about perfect.
If you thought the story of country music songwriting legend Kris Kristofferson blowing off his own tribute at the 2019 CMA Awards to perform a scheduled show in Davenport, Iowa was a cool story and a sign of the Hall of Famer’s class and character, well the he might have done himself one better a few days before.
On the day after the CMA Awards, it’s always important to take a deep breath, and remind yourself, “It’s just the CMA’s.” But it does feel important to address what turned out to be the biggest controversy Wednesday night, which was Garth Brooks winning Entertainer of the Year over Carrie Underwood.
Fans of true country music were very happy to hear that Willie Nelson was tapped to perform at the CMA Awards in 2019. However it was fair to say that happiness and appreciation for Willie Nelson’s presence on the usually contemporary-minded and pop-oriented CMA Awards turned to concern when Willie Nelson started attempting to sing.
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 2019 edition of the Saving Country Music CMA Awards LIVE blog! It is here that as the presentation unfolds, comments, observations, criticisms, accolades, and smart ass remarks will be doled out in real time and unfiltered for you to follow along with. We’re working without a net here.
As easily predicted, Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus won the 2019 CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year for their collaboration on the genre-bending summer smash “Old Town Road.” In a strange plot twist to “Old Town Road” winning a CMA Award, so does industrial artist Trent Reznor. He now has a CMA Awards, while many country legends don’t.
All the presenters, the performers, what they will be performing, nominees, predictions, early winners, and the reasons to watch all in one place. This is the place to get all the information on the 53rd Annual, 2019 CMA Awards. This years awards will put a special emphasis on the women of country music.
The team assembling around viral country songwriter Zach Bryan continues to be stocked with top shelf talent. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native shocked the country music world on August 23rd when he released a completely self-produced and self-distributed solo acoustic record called ‘DeAnn.’ Now he’s working with Dave Cobb.
Miranda Lambert’s latest album Wildcard is the #1 album in country music this week, beating out Luke Combs and a new title from Hootie and the Blowfish (yes, they’re “country” now) to take the top spot. This also marks Miranda’s sixth consecutive #1 album in country, and her sixth consecutive Top 10 on the Billboard 200.
Any frustration you might have experienced with The Mavericks for not releasing an original album this year is chased pretty quickly when they light into their version of “Swingin'” made popular by John Anderson, and then “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” written and recorded by Waylon Waymore Watasha Jennings.
We knew the 8-episode, 16 1/2-hour Ken Burns documentary on country music that aired in mid September on PBS would have a significant impact and reach millions of viewers due to the popularity and prestige Ken Burns enjoys. Now we have the final tabulations on how many total viewers the film reached, and they’re quite impressive.
It’s been over 12 years since Grand Ole Opry member and (potential) future Country Music Hall of Famer Pam Tillis released a solo studio record, but that will all be changing soon as she has announced a new deal, with a new solo record in the works. The 2nd-generation country star was one of the most successful women throughout the 90’s.
Luke Combs is not the William Faulkner of country music. He’s the Grisham, or the Clancy. Ripe for mass consumption, easy to get into, riveting in moments, it’s a much more healthier alternative to a People Magazine or some trashy romance novel for a long flight, but it’s not exactly material for the Pulitzer Prize.
Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson has announced that he will be touring extensively in 2020, and has announced the initial round of dates, with more dates to come. The new tour dates include a previously-announced appearance at the Stagecoach Festival, as well as Alan Jackson’s first show in Nashville in 3 years.
